The Real Girl on Fire
by 4everalways
Summary: The unthinkable is taken up a notch when Clare Edwards is the only survivor of a arson attack on her family, commited by a serial/mass murderer, and when the murderer find her, Clare does something even more unbelievable. Enjoy!
1. The Day Before

Imagine...

YOU, yes, YOU, flipping through your TV to catch up on the news.

First you see a curly-haired young teenage girl on the news.

"I can't even express how mad I am, that people are even considering this a possible crime!" she yells out during an interview.

You continue flipping through the channels, coming across more news stations.

"She's acts like she's holding it together and that she is okay with her life, but she acts almost emotionless when she talks about these deaths," a news-reporter says.

"I just think that poor girl has been through so much," a random person on the street says.

I sat in my hidden castle, my cozy home. I slowly sipped some warm apple cider, looking down my arms to see the many deep cut scars I had inflicted on myself as the only person I had left in this world wrapped my special blanket around me.

My name is Clare Edwards, and that curly-haired teenager was me. Only, I think this story will be quite different from what you would imagine.

I am offering you a chance, to peek into my life in the days leading up too, and following, the night that changed my life forever.

This is my diary, about the experience I had with the real Girl on Fire.

* * *

The polo field was lovely as always. I felt very blessed to live the new lifestyle I had lived. My step-father, Glenn, had recently had a major success with his job, and we were on our way to a bigger and better life style, as a family.

The white wire fences had beautiful purple flowers weaved in and out of them. It was very fragrant, very dainty.

I was wearing my beautiful floral dress, strapless and four inches above the knee of course, and a white cream sweater. My shoes were simple white flats, and I had a wide-brimmed straw hat that reminded me of a hat I wore for Easter when I was young. I had put on spotless makeup. To be honest, I looked like a goody-two-shoes, grandma-ish, dainty. I didn't look as rebellious as my true thoughts and desires were.

I loved that about myself.

No one would ever expect something so dangerous out of me. I was too sweet. The sweet Christian virgin who lived with such modest people. If only they knew about me and Jake's secret sexy night together, or about how much I loved the passionate sex I had with Eli, now almost every day. If they only knew the dirty things I have done - deep throating, sex tapes, master & slave games - they would shun me.

If only they knew.

Even though I might seem like a sick girl, no one disgusted me more than Patricia Vanderbilt.

That bitch made me want gag her.

I always hated her, since the day I saw her. She lived in a huge mansion, with her son and her pregnant daughter, both biological. Don't tell anyone, but if you ask me, her son is totally the father of his sister's baby. But you didn't hear that from me! She was widowed three times. Rumor says, she ate her first husband, and executed her other two. Don't worry, you can tell everyone I said that. It's no secret.

The worst thing was how sweet and innocent she acted. She brought me and my mom sweet cinnamon rolls the day we moved in to the new city. She said she made them herself, but they were obviously store-bought. Everything she said to us that day was at best, a back-handed compliment.

Then, when I was walking down the stairs, I heard her on the phone, talking about how she wanted to slit our throats.

She hates us. I hate her too.

She did many other horrible things that I won't bore you about, but just know, she is a terrible human being, even if she looks like she is still grieving her husband's deaths.

Right now, she was eight feet away. Her red frizzy hair carelessly curled, her purple eye shadow splotted all over her eyes, her clothes so disgustingly pale. Everything about her made me hate her. It was too bad that I liked her kids, even though they were incest freaks.

She gave me the most vicious, disgusting stare you have ever seen in your life. I happily mirrored her facial expression.

Even though Patricia was the cannibal, murdering, incest, slutty bitch of the town, news was taking a turn when disaster struck our town.

There was a road that let out to the more open area of town. No one really did farm there, it was just an open area. It had about seven to ten houses on it, and they had all burned down. When the fire fighters got there, they said they could still smell the gasoline.

Seven children died, all about the same age; 7. Three babies died, and several sets of parents died, along with a young couple, about twenty-three, that had found out that night, that they were going to start a family and had happily posted it all over Facebook.

As I watched Patricia gain sympathy from someone's grandmother, I knew she knew I knew.

Patricia Vanderbilt was somehow connected to these murders, and somehow, I was going to prove it.

I just didn't know how.


	2. The Girl on Fire

Okay guys, this is the scary part. This is the night that led to the deaths of many people, and the deadly decision I made...

* * *

My clothes were comfortable, but I was not. I looked adorable as always. My hair was in a bun, which made my perfectly lined eyes look even more dramatic. I was wearing my cute Hello Kitty pajama pants and my "Sweet Stuff" tank top. My pink furry slipper boots kept my feet warm. Like I said, I looked adorable.

I would have _felt_ adorable if it was a more comfortable situation.

My mom had agreed to let my dad and sister stay at the house with me while her and Glenn were away at Hawaii on vacation... cause we can do that now.

Side note: I feel like such a preppy, stereotypical rich white girl ever since Glenn hit a success with his job!

The only problem was that there was a _huge _miscommunication and my father and my sister came two days early. Now my mom and her new husband were going to have to spend tonight and tomorrow with the man who cheated on her. Yay!

The only thing that kept me from leaving and going to Eli's house, was Eli. I invited him over to have sex to spite my mom, and she knew it, but he ended up being a guest for dinner.

Everyone was totally silent as we ate our meals, which had, hands down, the _best _mashed potatoes and gravy you have _ever _tasted!

"So, Eli. It was quite a coincidence that you happened to come see my daughter when her father unexpectedly came in tonight," my mother said. The words were not dramatic, but how she said it was. She had a mean glare in her eyes, and she sat her silverware down to say it.

My father stopped eating to look up at my mom, and followed her gaze to Eli, who was sitting uncomfortably and was starting to get red in the face.

"Is it a coincidence?" he asked.

"Yes," I said.

Hey, it was the truth.

Whatever me and Eli have down with each other... or too each other... I had always been honest about, so she can't say I'm a liar.

My mom threw her napkin down on the table.

"She invited him over tonight to have sex," she said, staring right at my dad. As if she could burn my soul through his eyes.

"Clare, is this true?" he asked.

"Yes, but none the less, it was still a coincidence," I said.

I knew my mom hated it when I was a smart ass when she asked me about my sex life, and that's why I did it. Because it was funny.

My father leaned in and stared through Eli's soul.

"So you have sex with my daughter?" he asked.

Eli's face was now a bright tomato red.

"Yes, sir," he said honestly.

This upset my father even more.

"Don't call me sir. Don't act like you respect me, because you obviously don't," he said.

He went to continue eating his meal.

"How would him having sex with me have anything to do with his respect towards you?" I asked.

Now dad's face was getting red.

"Because a boy doesn't have underage sex with a man's daughter if he respects him, especially if he barely knows that man," he said.

Now he was making my blood boil.

"Well that is sexist of you - and Dark Aged times of you," I said as I continued to eat my mashed potatoes.

My dad just shook his head.

After a moment of silence, Eli finally spoke up, like the _real _man that he is, unlike my father.

"I do respect you, and I respect your daughter," he said as he placed his hand over mine.

"I also love her, very much."

He made me smile so big, my cheeks hurt.

"That would be a lot more easier to believe if you didn't have these in your pocket," Glenn said, before pulling a pair of my underwear out of Eli's pocket and onto the table.

It wasn't gross, like near food or anything, I just didn't want ecolli getting on the table.

My sister Darcy was quietly giggling and chuckling to herself. She was very quiet this whole time, but I think she enjoyed this just as much as I did.

I slowly sat up and reached across the table to grab my under wear and put it in my lap. Then I felt Eli's hand place itself on my knee, something he does when he thinks I need to be comforted, but when we are in front of my parents.

I took the underwear out of my lap and placed it in Eli's hand. Eli slowly slid them over to his side of the table, attempting to put them in his pocket without anybody noticing.

"Don't give them back to him!" my mother exclaimed. I guess he had failed.

My sister watched eagerly, wondering what we were going to do next.

Eli held back a laugh and handed them back to me. I was also about to burst with laughter at this point.

* * *

After dinner was finished and everyone was getting ready for bed, my dad and Darcy were wondering around down stairs, unaware of where they were going to sleep.

"The guest bedroom is down this hall, one of you will have to sleep on the couch," Glenn said.

"Thank you, and again, I apologize about the miscommunication," my father said.

Glenn sighed.

"That's alright, as long as you don't burn the place down," Glenn joked. Him and my dad awkwardly chuckled.

"Don't say that to Patricia Vanderbilt, or she'll actually do it," I said. I quickly turned to walk into the kitchen to get some red pop.

"Now, don't say that. The police said they have no leads, and there is certainly no reason to suspect Patricia," Glenn said.

"What are you talking about, and who is Patricia Vanderbilt?" my dad asked.

I was excited to tell dad all about it, to be honest.

"Let me get my red pop and I'll fill you in!" I said. As I rushed away, I could hear Glenn.

"Don't believe a word she says."

That smart ass.

I know, I know, I'm such a hypocrite.

I ran back into the living room and dragged Eli in to sit with me, since he had just been standing in the hallway the whole time.

I ran and landed on the couch where my dad was sitting. My sister was sitting on the love seat right next to him, and Eli sat in the chair next to me.

"Okay, so there was this big arson attack in town not too far from here," I started.

"It was kind a distant, off-center road that led to no where, but there was a lot of families on it. Someone went there, used a _ton _of gasoline, and killed so many families. There was seven first graders that were killed, and a few babies, their parents, and a couple that had just found out that they were going to have a family of their own," I said.

"That's terrible!" Darcy said.

"I know, it's sickening, isn't it?" I said.

"And they don't know who did it?" my dad asked.

"They don't," I said, leaning back on my couch arm.

"But I do," I said smugly.

It took me like, half an hour to fill my dad and sister in on Patricia Vanderbilt!

"So, you think she is a murder because of these rumors?" he asked.

"The rumors, and because I heard her say that she wanted to slit my throat," I said.

My dad squinted his eyes.

"Why would she say that?" he asked.

I pierced my lips and shrugged.

"I don't know," I said.

"Maybe it's her hobby," I added.

"Clare," Eli sighed.

I turned and looked at him.

"What?" I asked.

"Well you guys might want to be careful then, this is a pretty distant road," my dad said, looking out the windows.

My sister smacked him on the arm.

"Dad!" she exclaimed.

"What?" he asked.

I tried to cover it up, but the second he said that, I got goosebumps. I had already been through this town, and he was right.

With that distant road of houses gone, ours was next. It was the next distant road.

"He doesn't mean that Clare," my mom said. It made me jump because I didn't know she was even standing there.

I quickly jumped up.

"I know," I said, looking at the clock. It was already 10:35 P.M.

"Eli, you're going to be late!" I said.

Eli looked at his watch to confirm what I had said.

"Shit, your right, I'm way late," he said. He jumped up and gave me a kiss.

"I got to go," he said, walking to the door.

"Where you going?" my dad asked.

I mentally face palmed myself. He just said he was late, and now dad wants to interview him.

Eli was a nice guy, a gentlemen though.

"I got a job at a gas station, and I'm working the night shift," he said.

"Oh, well have fun," my dad simply said.

"Hopefully," Eli said before running out.

I stared at the door for a long time. I was thinking about what my dad said, and I got goosebumps again.

Patricia _really _hated me, and I _really _hated Patricia. My road is the next distant... _would_ we be next?

I hurried upstairs as quick as I could. Since Eli was now gone, I decided to play on my laptop until I got tired, which probably wouldn't be till the next morning.

* * *

"Aw, you suck!" I said into the microphone. I was playing K.C. in a computer game. He was the only one of my friend's that were still on. It was like, 3 in the morning.

"You just can't play!" K.C. responded. I heard that much, but everything else he rambled on about was drowned out by the site outside my window.

"Stop," I said into the mic, and I threw my headphones, along with the rest of my stuff, down onto the bed and I rushed over to see what was going on.

The was a bright, orange, yellow and black glow/mist coming from the front of the house. It was so bright it was almost blinding. I tried to see where it was coming from, but I soon realized I wasn't going to tell this way.

I lonely struggled to get my window open. No matter what I did, it would not open. It was killing me, and I got more and more paranoid the longer it took.

When I finally opened it, a black mist creeped in, and my legs soon sweltered. I had never felt such pain in my whole life! I screamed and quickly closed the window, and it started to melt. When I looked through it, I saw a familiar red-haired head, carrying something that looked like a briefcase.

_OH MY FUCKING GOD, THIS WAS NOT HAPPENING!_

When I saw the colors, looked down at my burned legs and looked up to see her one more time, I automatically knew what was going on.

_I really **did **know._

I ran back to my computer and pulled the microphone up to my mouth and quickly put the headphones on.

"K.C., do you remember my address?" I asked.

Me and K.C. only lived fifteen minutes apart.

"Of course," he said.

"Call 911, tell them to come here, my house if on fire!" I screamed.

With that, I picked up my computer and ran to the other side of my bed and pulled my robe on. I grabbed my cell phone and my purse (that had my credit cards) which were on my dresser. I ran out into the hallway.

Once I got out there, I realized I was too late.

_The fire has swallowed my mom and Glenn's room, and Jake's room._

I used my robe to cover my mouth and partly cover my eyes, but from what I could see, my parent's door and my brother's door, were totally charred.

I couldn't save them.

I detached myself from the situation, and ran downstairs, praying to god that my dad was still alive.

_He was gone too._

I couldn't even see to get down to the bottom of the steps. I turned to look down the hallway where Darcy was sleeping, and it was engulfed with flames too.

I knew that the fire was almost covering the down stairs, even though all I could see was black. I decided to jump over the banister and run behind the bar.

The bar was connected to half my kitchen, and there was a mudroom and hallway behind my kitchen. I pulled open the door next to bar, and ran down the hallway through the mudroom. The mudroom was cement, so the fire hadn't gotten into there yet.

I dropped to the floor. I got my first breath of fresh air, but I had so much smoke in my lungs that it hurt so much. I felt like the fire was inside me, burning the skin off my lungs.

Knowing that the fire was no more than five feet away, I got back up and ran as fast as I could.

I ran into the backyard, and looked up at my house. The fire had reached certain parts of my attic, and it was sneaking out of the glass patio doors.

My beautiful new house was gone now. I looked up the closest side yard, and I could still see Patricia, but she couldn't see me.

The fire had almost engulfed the side yard. I ran all the way to the other side, and saw that a bit of yard wasn't on fire.

But, I would still have to run through the flame.

I had heard of people who had done the same in similar situations, and they didn't get burned, so I went for it. Luckily, I didn't feel a thing.

I ran out, not sure where to go. I ended up in the street. I looked around, scared that Patricia would still be there.

I turned back to the house and...

_There she was._

The heartless murder was standing, already working on the next house. I could see her face thanks to the flames.

She looked utterly sad.

Almost like "No, I _wanted you _to die!"

Which, was the obvious truth.

We stared at each other for what felt like eternity.

At least I was able to notice how spotless she looked.

Then, she did the creepiest thing I have ever seen a human do.

The kind of thing where, you have to be there and experience it to understand it.

She looked at me once more, knowing that she killed my whole family and she _knew _I knew. She didn't care.

She turned back around, and continued putting gas on the house next to mine.

She didn't go after me. I knew why too... because in her head, she was thinking, "Where all can she go? I'll find her."

I was not going to let that happen.

I turned and continued running up the street. Once I got to the stop sign, I turned right and kept running. I thought... should continue down this road? There was streetlights, so people could see me and hear me... if their awake.

_"No, **she'll **be able to see you, catch up to you, and kill you,"_ I thought to myself.

Just then, I came to another road. This road led up to a major road. I looked down it, and at the end of it, I saw Eli's gas station.

_"Yes! You can go in there and get help, since it's 24 hours, but you are going to have to run **really **fast."_

So that's what I would do.

I ran as quick as I could. At this point, my computer and cell phone were now totally useless since they got burned, so I just dropped them, because they were holding me back. I still had my purse though, and I knew I was going to need it.

I had never ran so fast in my life, and I didn't even care that I was only in a robe, my shirt, and my thong underwear.

I had totally forgotten I had practically no clothes on. Not even the usual eeriness of dark roads with sleepy houses could slow me down.

Once I crossed the main road, which had practically no cars on it, I looked up and saw Eli running up to me. I later learned that he had seen me running down the road half-naked with ash and burn marks on me.

I collapsed to the crown, not able to breathe.

"Clare!" Eli yelled over and over, shaking me.

I could barely see anything, and it was a haze, but my hearing definitely came back to me.

I felt Eli grab me and carry me bridal style into the gas station, and I quickly woke back up.

When we got inside, Eli dropped to the ground with me still in his arms. His boss quickly ran over to see if I was okay.

"What happened to her?" Gary asked.

Gary was a young man, probably in his thirties, that had blonde hair and a beard. He was friendly, but quiet and awkward at the same time.

"I don't know," Eli said.

"I was right," I said, still in total shock, and now light-headed from heavy breathing and running.

"What?" Gary asked. Eli looked just as confused.

"I was right!" I yelled. Eli's eyes widened as he started to realize what happened to me. I grabbed his collar and yanked it while I talked.

"She killed all of them," I cried.

I could see that Eli still hadn't quiet understood what I was talking about.

"My house was on fire, and everyone was dead. When I came out, Patricia was there," I said.

Eli held me tightly, looking around like a maniac. I wasn't sure what he was thinking at that moment.

"Patricia who?" Gary asked.

"The one with the pregnant daughter," I said.

"Vanderbilt," Eli said for me.

"'Cause that's her car pulling up," Gary said. Me and Eli looked, and he was telling the truth. Patricia slammed her car door and headed for the front door.

"Basement, Gary keeps his guns down there," Eli said as he stood up and pulled me up, and pushed me to the door in the back of the store. Gary followed us.

"Gas stations get robbed a lot," he uselessly said.

"Let's leave the door unlocked to lure her down there, then take her by surprise," Eli said to Gary. Gary nodded.

"We're going to kill her?" I whispered loudly, knowing that she was now in the gas station.

"Not unless we have too," Gary said under his breath.

I felt like I was in Jurassic Park, like the part in the movie where the kids are in the kitchen, and they were trying to hide from the dinosaurs by not hiding. This must have felt the same way.

We walked into the stairway like nothing was wrong, but as soon as the door closed, we were slamming down those stairs like you wouldn't believe. It almost made the, "act like nothing is wrong" act go mute because of how loud we were. We weren't even halfway down when we heard the door open again, followed by a whole other round of footsteps.

When we got all the way down, me and Eli sprinted into the room and Gary quickly grabbed his biggest machine gun off the table in the room. Sure enough, Patricia came running in, but was stopped by Gary.

"Not again," Gary said. Patricia stood still there for a minute, but she finally dropped her lighter and her gasoline.

_She was in our control now._

* * *

**_Authors note: I know this chapter as super long. It has 3,422 words, and it took me two hours to write, but I hope you guys stayed awake to read it!  
_**


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